7 Rules of Design
1. Forget. Before you start with any project, remember to forget everything (except your name). Forget what you don’t know about design and forget what you do know. Forget what works and what doesn’t. Forget the rules and limitations of the program or instrument you are using, because the next step requires you to ignore any thing you have been taught before.
2. Make stuff up. Lie, if you must, to yourself and to others. As soon as you forget what you are capable of, nothing is impossible. When you disregard what you can do with what you have, you begin to think outside of where certain instruments limit you. Be absurd in your lies. Make up things that can’t possibly be true or shouldn’t make sense.
3. Think. Sometimes, it’s not the size of the idea that matters but, the idea itself. Don’t over-invest your efforts in a big idea that is hollow while you have another that only needs your attention to grow.
4. Depth, get it. All things have depth. All matter, non-matter and everything else has depth. So, go beyond the surface of any idea and swim in the deep end.
5. Break into little pieces. Push your idea off the edge and watch to see where and how the pieces fall. Do this many times.
6. Move On. Move with where the idea takes you. This might not be moving with the idea, in fact most times you end up with another concept that is nowhere near your starting idea. So…
7. Don’t get attached. Don’t be selfish. Ideas are nomads, so share your ideas. Give them away to open space for new ones.
Namaste
